Posted Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2:30 a.m.
Student Association President Lamar Thorpe proposed an overhaul of the SA’s structure starting in the 2008-2009 school year during his State of the SA address Tuesday night on the Mount Vernon Campus.
The plan – which is outlined in a proposed constitution – would keep the SA Student Court, but replace the SA Executive and Senate with two new branches overseen by an Executive Board. Thorpe, a senior, delivered the annual address in Post Hall around the time of President George W. Bush’s State of the Union address.
Thorpe is proposing that students would vote on the restructuring in a referendum to take place at the same time as this year’s elections for the SA, Marvin Center Governing Board and Program Board. The elections are scheduled for Feb. 21 and 22.
The new executive would consist of a president and vice president, and the legislature would include three councils – finance, campus life and academic affairs – and an ad-hoc Rules Committee which would approve nominees by the president and constitutional amendments.
The Executive Board would consist of the president, as chair; the vice president, as vice-chair; chairs from the legislative councils; an attorney general to serve as legal counsel and prosecutor; and a treasurer to administer funds and keep financial records.
“Student organizations are discontent with our governances, administrators don’t take us seriously, and on occasion we all find ourselves frustrated with barriers created by our current structure,” Thorpe said during the speech. “(We) need to make changes to our structure. We need a SA that can complete initiatives, address student needs, and effectively advocate on behalf of our peers.”
The proposal comes from the advice of a commission Thorpe established in December to examine the effectiveness of the SA.
“The commission came up with one conclusion that the current structure of the SA does not permit us to be an effective and efficient organization,” Thorpe said.
In the overhauled form of the SA, a finance council would consist of 10 at-large representatives: five undergraduate and five graduate students. Thorpe described this replacement for the Senate Finance Committee as “no longer political.”
“Unlike the current system where the Finance Committee may present a financially sound budget that is manipulated by partisan politics, the finance council will . be dedicated solely to advocating funds to student organizations,” he said.
The committee is comprised of senators who are elected from within the Senate. Committee members review proposed budgets of more than 300 student organizations, review past spending and allocate money to them each fall.
The Campus Life Council would be structured like Thorpe’s proposed Finance Council and would focus on student services and advocacy. The president said it would be the “representative body for student organizations” across the University. The Senate has had a Student Life Committee, which like the Finance Committee, is made up of senators.
The Academic Affairs Council would be composed of 14 members – each one representing a different school and committed to focusing on academic initiatives.
Thorpe said the new executive would have many fewer vice presidents and directors.
“There is too much going on in the executive. This would be easier if there wasn’t so much confusion about who is going to do what,” Thorpe said.
SA Executive Vice President Josh Lasky, who is chair of the Senate, is against the proposal. Lasky, a senior, said the SA’s time should not be spent on internal housekeeping.
“I personally would rather focus on the software, than the hardware,” said Lasky. “You need to address the needs of students rather than spending time reforming.”
